Ryan Dewyke, 11, of Yorba Linda, celebrates his win of a coveted arcade game at Captain's Auction Warehouse, in Anaheim, as his father David Dewyke, left, and mother Jay Dewyke, right celebrate along with Daniel Ramos, center top, of Torrance. The warehouse auctioned off 573 arcade games including 77 pinball games in Saturday's auction. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ANAHEIM – Dressed in all black and flashing a large silver skull ring on each of his ring fingers, Chris "Captain" Campbell was getting ready to auction off more than 573 arcade games Saturday morning, 77 of those pinball machines.

Campbell, who has owned and operated Captain's Auction Warehouse for five years, knew it was going to be a big day. A crowd of 100 or so people – arcade game vendors, pinball machine buffs and curious onlookers – followed him around his Anaheim warehouse. One of Campbell's associates followed him with a cart bearing a computer, feeding him information about online bidders.

Saturday's auction featured an array of games including pinball machines, gumball machines, prize and ticket redemption machines, Skee-Ball, parts, monitors, and air hockey and pool tables. He was even selling a collectible from the 1950s – the United Deluxe Bonus Gun – a rifle shooting game.

Campbell said he started out his career as an e-Bay seller in 1999. His e-Bay ID was Captain Chris 86. He soon developed an e-Bay store and used his experience in warehousing and distribution to start his own business.

He never saw himself as much of a talker. But when his auctioneer failed to show up about four years ago, he picked up the microphone – and never looked back. Campbell usually – and appropriately – begins the day with a bow to the spirit of the Pinball Wizard, a character in the song by British rock band The Who from the rock opera "Tommy," famously played by Sir Elton John in the movie version.

The auction also draws local residents who like to collect for their game rooms. Steve Haley of Yorba Linda says he puts these arcade games in his home and on his vacation rental properties.

"In my cabin up in Big Bear, I have a deer hunting game that people love to play when they are there," he said.

Haley tried to bid on a Hydro Thunder arcade game, something he thought might be nice in his house by the lake, but he didn't win it.

"Oh well, I tried," he shrugged.

For a select few like Kenny Hardy, pinball games are like a religion. Hardy has a full-time job at Disneyland, but his passion, he says, is buying and selling pinball and arcade games. He bought his first pinball machine, Street Fighter 2, for $75.

"I love pinball machines because with these games, there is a real connection between the user and machine, unlike a digital game," he said.

To Hardy, a pinball machine is like a person with a brain and a mind of its own.

"You never know how it's going to react," he said.

Among the youngest bidders at the warehouse was Ryan Dewyke, 11, of Yorba Linda, who came with his mother Jay and brothers Chase, 14 and Mason 12.

Jay Dewyke said her son is obsessed with collecting antique toys and games from the 1940s and 1950s, spurred by his interest in the reality television show "Storage Wars."

"We've already bought three of those the Need for Speed machines today," she said. "We're still waiting to buy a basketball machine that will probably go in our garage."

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Ryan Dewyke, 11, of Yorba Linda, celebrates his win of a coveted arcade game at Captain's Auction Warehouse, in Anaheim, as his father David Dewyke, left, and mother Jay Dewyke, right celebrate along with Daniel Ramos, center top, of Torrance. The warehouse auctioned off 573 arcade games including 77 pinball games in Saturday's auction. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Daniel Ramos, of Torrance, passes time dancing to Dance Revolution as he waits for the auction to reach the items he wanted to bid on at Captain's Auction Warehouse in Anaheim. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Amelia Yvonne, of Anaheim, plays arcade game as the Captain's Auction Warehouse auction is going on behind her Saturday. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Auctioneer Chris Campbell draws bids for one of the 573 arcade and pinball machines on auction Saturday at Captain's Auction Warehouse in Anaheim. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Bidders crowd around the 77 pinball machines for auction at Captain's Auction Warehouse Saturday as auctioneer Chris Campbell call for bids. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Jack Lutowitz, of Los Angeles, uses a flashlight to check out the mechanics of a pinball machine before Saturday's auction at Captain's Auction Warehouse in Anaheim. Bidders showed up for 573 pinball and arcade machines. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Josh Shamassian, 14, o Trabuco Canyon, plays a shooting arcade game as the Captain's Auction Warehouse auction is going on behind him Saturday. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Bidders listen to Saturday's arcade game and pinball auction at Captain's Auction Warehouse in Anaheim. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Chris Campbell starts up the bidding for the first of 573 arcade and pinball machines Saturday at Captain's Auction Warehouse in Anaheim. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Bidders mill around the machines at Captain's Auction Warehouse in Anaheim Saturday. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Tom Terlecky, of Chino Hills, checks out an arcade game while holding Paco at Captain's Auction Warehouse in Anaheim. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Captain's Auction Warehouse in Anaheim was a very busy place Saturday during the auction of 573 arcade and pinball games. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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